HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: BrokenHeadPole on June 24, 2026, 06:50:06 AM
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I have predicted for a long time it will be around with low-class horses. I feel Gural will never shut it down. He's too involved in the sport, and there are many jobs involved. Jobs with people who have worked for him for a long time. Sure, he can make threats that he will shut down, but that was a negotiating tool to hopefully get a casino.
I don't think he wants to be known as the person who shut down the Meadowlands. If he has to, he can run it with mostly the same Freehold-type purses. But not with the inflated purses for these same lower conditions now. These owners and trainers will still race there, for they raced for those lower purses for years at Freehold. Others will race there too for the thrill of saying they raced at the Big M
Your thoughts?
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I have predicted for a long time it will be around with low-class horses. I feel Gural will never shut it down. He's too involved in the sport, and there are many jobs involved. Jobs with people who have worked for him for a long time. Sure, he can make threats that he will shut down, but that was a negotiating tool to hopefully get a casino.
I don't think he wants to be known as the person who shut down the Meadowlands. If he has to, he can run it with mostly the same Freehold-type purses. But not with the inflated purses for these same lower conditions now. These owners and trainers will still race there, for they raced for those lower purses for years at Freehold. Others will race there too for the thrill of saying they raced at the Big M
Your thoughts?
Is racing cheaper horses at M1 better than no racing at all?
I believe so.
I don't think you want to kiss Jersey racing goodbye.
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It will be around forever. Still a Mecca
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Fake news, Jeff is in the process of working with the state
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Fake news, Jeff is in the process of working with the state
I was told the same! Don't believe the Ignorant, Degenerate Haters on this site! tmbz1
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He can work with the state all he wants. Take it for fact it's not going on the ballot, there is no way around it. More MDAC and declining quality of horses and drivers. We are already seeing it, threats to Yannick for wanting to drive his horses a Yonkers. These guys are going to follow the cash and NJ doesn't look good, crappy overnight purses.
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If what I've heard is true, in his original deal with the state, Gural would get 110% return, on money he spent on the now Freehold North. He'd be a fool to keep Freehold North open, and keep losing money, without slot handouts. With the Governor of New Jersey wanting to slash the handouts harness racing receives in New Jersey, and rightfully so in my opinion, what would the purse structure look like? Hopefully, Freehold North will be the next Hawthorne, soon to be closed. It has not been The Big M in a very long time. Gural is getting older and older, why would he want the stress of losing money, and dealing with whoresmen?
Sincerely, Silent One
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Bank up the turns and run Nascar. Like Sportmans.
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Fake news, Jeff is in the process of working with the state
I was told the same! Don't believe the Ignorant, Degenerate Haters on this site! tmbz1
It will be around forever. Still a Mecca
While I hope you three posters are correct, this casino would have been a boost for racing at the "Big M". I think the question I would ask my fellow Plopsters.....Is the closing/selling of the Big M better or worse for harness racing?
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Casinos are 20 year old band aids for harness racing at this point
Meadowlands needs to make a big change if they want to rebound
Partner with Kalshi or another prediction market to offer fixed odds wagering and viewership will BOOM!
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Casinos are 20 year old band aids for harness racing at this point
Meadowlands needs to make a big change if they want to rebound
Partner with Kalshi or another prediction market to offer fixed odds wagering and viewership will BOOM!
tmbz1 tmbz1 tmbz1 tmbz1 tmbz1 tmbz1
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Casinos are 20 year old band aids for harness racing at this point
Meadowlands needs to make a big change if they want to rebound
Partner with Kalshi or another prediction market to offer fixed odds wagering and viewership will BOOM!
Doesn't matter what they do, it won't change anything. The majority of horse racing fans are older people, as they started dying off there was no one to replace them because the younger generation has alot more options that don't take up 5 hours of their time like horse racing does.
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Remember this WAS the Mecca, great racing every night. It's far from it now. GONE You have quality for 8 or 9 weeks. Overnights trash. How would you propose to keep it going, even at break even. Jeff holds the cards, he's got a shit hand, he' s all in. Ready to walk away from the table. It' s a dead issue, no vote, track will likely slowly close, unless you can find a bigger pigeon. He's funded the place long enough.
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Even if the casino 'magically' could start tomorrow, how long would it take to be actually implemented?
Even when Pompano Park [RIP] voted it in, it took approximately 3 years to actually have it? What about the time in-between? Jeff Gural is in his early 80's as we type here and now. Is there a succession plan for The Meadowlands whether it's tomorrow or down the road? The answer will become available down the road in due time.
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Doesn't matter what they do, it won't change anything. The majority of horse racing fans are older people, as they started dying off there was no one to replace them because the younger generation has alot more options that don't take up 5 hours of their time like horse racing does.
Do you see the volume bet on fifa on Kalshi , polym, etc?? Millions
People love to trade events
There’s no reason horse racing can’t fit into it
Here’s an opportunity to get eyeballs on your product, all demographics
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The next 6 weeks the Big M IS harness racing
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The next 6 weeks the Big M IS harness racing
Starting in 10 days.
It's about time.
F'ing embarrassment thus far.
The high end horse qualifiers were better than 99% of the races ngc3